1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector guide mechanism for guiding the fitting of a pair of connectors (which can be fitted together) mounted respectively on an equipment and a mounting member to which this equipment is to be attached.
2. Background
When mounting an equipment on a vehicle body, and particularly when mounting an electric equipment, such as a radio, on the vehicle body, there has, in many cases, been used a construction in which one of a pair of connectors, which can be fitted together, is mounted on the equipment while the other connector is mounted on the vehicle body, and simultaneously when attaching the equipment to the vehicle body, the two connectors are fitted together. In this case, because of dimensional tolerances of the parts, it is difficult to position or register the two connectors with each other simultaneously when mounting the equipment in position on the mounting member. Therefore, in such an equipment mounting construction, there has, in many cases, been used a construction in which one of the two connectors is movable so as to serve as a so-called reception connector so that misregistration of the connectors with each other can be absorbed.
A connector mounting hole, larger in size than a housing of the reception connector, is formed in a connector mounting surface of the mounting member, and the housing is mounted in this connector mounting hole through elastic retaining arms. Therefore, even if the two connectors are misregistered with each other, the reception connector can be moved in the connector mounting hole, for example, by abutting guide surfaces of the connectors against each other, thereby absorbing the misregistration, so that the connector on the equipment can be fitted in the reception connector.
However, in the connector fitting construction using the above reception connector, if the misregistration-absorbing range is made large, the connectors are increased in size because of increased sizes of the connector guide mechanism (including the guide surfaces, guide posts and so on), and also the connector mounting hole must be increased in size, which results in a problem that the strength of the mounting member is reduced.
If the connector mounting hole is made small in order to secure the adequate strength of the mounting member, the misregistration-absorbing range becomes small, so that the connectors can not be fitted together easily. This lowers the efficiency of the mounting operation. In addition, the connector must be moved forcibly. That is, the connector is forcibly moved or turned up and down and right and left in order to register it with the mating connector or to bring it into agreement with the mating connector which can not be viewed. Therefore, the connector interferes with other parts, so that there is a possibility that the connector, the other parts and wires are damaged.
In the connector fitting construction using the reception connector for absorbing the misregistration, the connector mounting hole must be small, and also the strength of the mounting member must be increased, and on the other hand, the function of absorbing the misregistration of the two connectors with each other must be enhanced. Thus, these contradictory effects must be achieved, and therefore the design has been difficult.